It's Never That Bad
by Aceof2010Spades
Summary: O/c with possible Hisoka pairing. Ayaka's life has been far from perfect, but when she meets a certain magician will her life change for the better? Rated M for strong language, sexual themes and maybe lemons in later chapters.
1. Prologue

Prologue

I hate my life. I have never hated it more than I do now. It's hot, and the goddamn desert sun doesn't make it any better. I long for the snow and ice of home, the chill in the air that only exists in my home town. The heat here is unbearable, and it thickly coats my skin and suffocates my every breath. As I take another shaky breath I look around at the others around me. Many are emaciated and burned to a dirt brown color from working in this godforsaken place. The men wear worn out pants and thin long sleeve shirts, while the women are forced to wear hand-me-down clothes that are traditional in this region, burkas. It covers almost every inch of skin except their eyes. The children either run around naked or with only a pair of raged shorts and a tank top.

In all, there are a little over 50 of us. We live a life of mediocrity so that our master can live the life of luxury. That's right, we are _slaves_. Our group is made up mostly of males who work in our master's palace and in his underground drug ring. He gives people a place to stay for an hour and an injectable hallucinogenic drug for a monumental fee. I've never been inside and I really hope I never will. If I'm lucky, I'll never have to go in the palace either. The women who are unlucky enough to go inside the drug ring become entertainment strippers for the master's guests, and those who go inside that palace… I shudder at the thought, it's not pleasant.

Today is my 18th birthday, but I won't tell anyone here. I refuse to make friends. If anyone ever got close to me then ended up being… discarded… I wouldn't want to deal with the emotional turmoil. My number one priority is to survive. I've thought up multiple escape plans, but I have not had the opportune moment to implement a single one.

It's around noon and the sun is beating down upon what little skin on my face that is exposed. Everyone around me eats the small meal of stale bread and warm water that we receive twice a day. I myself am nibbling on a crust of bread that has no taste, no smell. For all I know it could be a mirage of this godforsaken place.

WHY? Why me? How do I deserve this! I want to scream, but that would get me noticed by the slaves who have lowered themselves to a higher position as watchdogs. Those scum… Some of the strongest of the master's slaves, he hand picks new possibilities every so often and has them undergo a test. Those who survive receive a position with a better quality of life in exchange for watching over the rest of us lowly slaves. I spit on the ground in contempt of those bastards…

All of a sudden I feel a hand grasp my shoulder, causing me to turn around. One of those mother fucking…

"Number 49, come with me." He says with a genuine look of regret. It's number 30. He is the only watchdog I know of with a genuine conscience. I also know that he only took the position for his wife and daughter, numbers 31 and 32. I stand up grudgingly, afraid for what is about to ensue.

Number 30 walks ahead of me with his shoulders slumped as if in defeat. I reach a cautious hand out and lightly touch his forearm. He flinches as he stops and turns to look at me with an expression that puts an icy pang in my stomach. "30, Please… Tell me what has you in such a mood? What awaits me?" For a moment I think he is going to ignore my question but then he sighs.

"The master is going to promote you to a… to a palace position…" He says grudgingly.

"No….!" I whisper as I feel my throat close up. Not that… ANYTHING but that! Number 30 turns and begins to walk again. I follow much more slowly, my feet are heavier now and it is even harder to breath than before. I try to take in breaths faster to make up for the lack of oxygen but it doesn't help, I only become even more anxious. My heart rate and respiration rate quicken even more and I realize that I am hyperventilating. I fall to the sand on my knees and clutch at the granules as tears fall from my eyes. _I can't breathe… I can't breathe! _

"Number 49? 49! Are you ok?" Number 30 runs back to where I am and puts his hands on my shoulders. "Number 49!"

_I can't… I can't take it anymore… I can feel it in my throat… I… _

I vomit from the stress and not only does my lunch come back up, but so does a crimson pool of blood. Black spots cover my vision and I lose all sense of consciousness.

When I open my eyes, a beautiful woman is standing over me anxiously. "Child.. can you hear me?"

I nod my head, but it feels light, like that time I got hit over the head with a snow shovel back home. "Yea, I…" I feel like I'm gonna vomit again, but the feeling slowly dissipates.

"Don't worry, I took care of you. Here, drink this." The woman has long blonde hair and skin the color of caramel. She passes me a cup filled with a creamy looking liquid, and as I take a sip it tastes like nothing I have ever tasted before in my life. "That will help calm your stomach, child."

I pass her back the cup and immediately realize that something is wrong. _Where is my burka?_ My arms are bare and I am wearing a bikini like outfit with a long blue cloth that hangs down on either to cover the back and front. It would probably skim the ground if I was standing. The thong and bikini feel like they are made of solid gold. I look up at the woman with wide eyes. "What the hell is this?" I whisper hysterically.

She turns away and walks across the room to draw open the curtains covering the room. I notice she is wearing a purple version of the outfit I have awoken to. "I'm sure you already know, 30 told me what happened outside. Master was only told that you had caught sun-poisoning. He expects to see you as soon as you are able." She replies in her own whisper. She returns to my side and clasps my hands in her own. "I know that this is going to be hard to endure, young one, but do not let it break you. I am sorry that I cannot do more for you… Now please, come with me." A single tear escaped her eye as I stood, still not ready to face my fate. My legs didn't want to cooperate, but I slowly regained control and walked with a gait as sturdy as possible to my master's quarters.

Inside is as grand as could be, and it has some modern day conveniences that I hadn't seen in months. The carpets and walls are as red as blood and decorated with ornate gold moldings. A flat screen tv is mounted on one wall and a modern bathroom is connected to the east wall. The king sized bed matchs the rest of the decor, and our master is sitting upon it in a red kimono from the east. His legs are splayed out wide and I am careful to look at his neck the whole time (so as to avoid looking into his eyes or… well, his assets…).

"Number 3, is number 49 back to a healthy state?" He asks her with a lewd look. I am so afraid that I am going to be sick… I want to run from this room and never look back, anything but stay where I am now…

"Yes, my master." She replies as any dutiful slave would.

"Good… You may leave." Number 3 bows then leaves the room, and the doors click shut with an ominous echo that turns my blood to ice in my veins. The man I despise more than anything stands up from the bed and walks slowly over with a lusty smile and gaze as his eyes swept over my body. I resist the urge to shudder and stand perfectly still. The bastard stops behind me and laid his hands on my sides. "You are indeed beautiful, my girl. Tonight you shall pleasure me as I am in need of new entertainment…" He pulls me closer to his body and I can feel his hardening member against my back. I am terrified. What can I do? His hands move from my sides upwards until they cup my breasts, and this is when I lose control and stiffen.

"Oh, you've never been pleasured in such a way, have you? We'll have to change that…" My master's long raven hair falls forward as he rests his head on my shoulder and begins to grind behind me. It's agonizingly slow, and I can only try my hardest not to whimper. His tongue flicks out at my neck as he begins to lick up and down in time with the grinding. I can feel my tips begin to harden and I let out a small moan of pleasure as my damn hormones betray my mind and soul. He stops grinding and turns me to face him, his obsidian eyes boring into mine with smugness. "You like this? Well, now you must pay me back. Kneel."

I do as he asks only because I have lost the ability to think. I am afraid, never have I felt a fear as intense as this. I don't know what is happening until he shoves his manhood inside my mouth. I gag and bite down, causing the bastard to howl in pain and withdraw, just before he backhands me across the face. The blow knocks me over and across the floor, I see spots of red in my vision and any noise sounds like I am in a tunnel. I feel him grab a fistful of my hair and lift me up to look into my eyes. _Are there two of him?_ I think groggily before he rips me up to my feet. It feels like he ripped some of the hair from my head.

"I see now that I am going to have to break you, you ungrateful bitch." He growls menacingly in my ear. He drags me to the bed and shoves me on top of it, face down. One strong hand grasps my wrists and holds them far above my head while the other begins to unclasp my skimpy coverings. He leans his legs on top of mine so I cannot get away. My face is pressed into the bed, but I can see the nightstand next to the bed. Something glistens on top… a knife? Cold air greets my skin as the gold bra falls from my body. In the span of a second I am flipped on my back and the bastard is holding me down with his weight while still holding my arms above my head. His warms lips sloppily kiss my navel then work their way up to my left breast.

"Master, please… no…. No!" I rasp as his mouth envelops my hardened nipple. His tongue flicks back and forth as I begin to scream, unable to hold myself back anymore. _This is torture… I wish… for death._ Anything besides living in this hell. He moves back down my body towards my navel and I can feel the tears in my eyes as a cruel smile spreads across his lips. "No master, please don't… No… No. NO!" He slips his hand between my legs and opens them up as his kisses continue further south. I become hysterical with my screams as his tongue sweeps around me and inside me.

_Death. I want… I want to die…. I welcome it. Death. Please… PLEASE… PLEASE!_

As I am making my private pleas and continuing with my screams the door bursts open and the mother fucking bastard finally removes his tongue from me. "What the hell is it? This had better be important!" He shouts. Number 30 hangs on the door and blood pours out of him from fatal wounds in his side.

"Master… intruders…" Is all he has time to say before he slumps to the floor, dead. My master releases my arms and in a moment of bloodlust I grab the knife from the nightstand. The noise I make as I grasp the metal blade alerts him and he whips his head back to me.

"You wouldn't dare…"

"Die, you fucking Bastard, rot in Hell!" I cry as I plunge the knife in his neck and wrench it down. I tear a long and jagged cut from his neck to his elbow and blood spurts out like a spray paint can. He is dead before he hits the sheets, his blood spraying across my body and pooling on the sheets. Behind me I hear enthusiastic clapping from the door. I peak over my shoulder and see a man with ginger spiked up hair, lustful eyes (the right has a star below it and the left has a teardrop), and a weird outfit. It mainly consists off a navy blue shirt with crimson card symbols, pale blue pants with black knee pads, and white sweat bands around his elbows and upper arms. All in all, he is an extremely attractive man, and I am a bruised and naked slave girl. I blush and jump off the bed on the other side, hiding my body behind it. It's now that I see the other male next to the first. He looks feminine, but still has a masculine sculpted body. His long raven hair is more beautiful than any I have seen before… His red jacket has pins jutting out of it.

_Who the hell are these freaks?_


	2. HuntingXBeing HuntedXBecoming the Hunter

**Chapter 1: Hunting X Being Hunted X Becoming the Hunter**

The snow drifts down slowly in a flurry of dances before it hits the ground. The only sound is of my black seal fur boots crunching across the ice and snow that covers the pavement. It's cold… I love it. I deeply inhale a draft of the frozen air through my mouth. I lift my gloved hands from my pockets and lift them towards the clouded sky as if to receive the frozen flakes. Even in this kind of weather I don't tend to wear a jacket. It's suffocating and I can't move as well as I can without it.

The city streets are crowded with people and tourists alike, each with their own shopping agenda. Many are rude enough to just shove their way along as if the others on the street don't exist. Instead of being squashed I drift around people as fast as a fleeting shadow. One woman I try to pass could be the size of a baby elephant and is carrying at least a dozen shopping bags. Her ambling gait is too slow for my liking. At a speed that no normal person would be able to see, I creep around her and continue on my way.

After another 15 minutes of passing the "normal" humans, the apartment complex comes into view. It's one of the nicer buildings in York New city, but it still isn't a higher standard of living. To be truthful, I only live here because it is all I can afford since _he_ won't help me. I let an annoyed growl escape my lips as I enter the complex and stalk past the doorman, Dietrich. He's a nice middle-aged man with a sweet wife and kids, but today I just want to get home. I slip into the elevator and press the "close doors" button before pressing the button for my floor. Just before the door shuts I hear a whizzing through the air and a thud, followed by a gust of air brushing the hair on the side of my head. As the elevator starts going up I turn around to see the ace of hearts lodged in the back wall. An amused chuckle escapes my lips as I turn back towards the door. _It's going to be one of those days, huh?_ The elevator screeches to a halt and I cautiously step out of the elevator. When I don't get impaled by more cards I continue on, just as cautious.

At apartment number 25 I stop and look around again. There is no sign of my stalker, and no sign is a bad sign. My keys jingle as I pull them from the pocket of my dark wash jeans and unlock the door to my humble abode. As I swing the door open wide I am met with a flurry of playing cards flying in my direction. Several embed themselves in the wall as I dive out of the way. Chuckling, my attacker exits the apartment and begins to pull the cards from the wall.

"And a good morning to you as well, Hisoka." I say sarcastically as I stand and wipe the dust from my pants. The floors around here probably haven't been vacuumed since 1883 when the building was built.

"Where have you been all night, my little Ayaka? Children aren't supposed to stay out all night long and make their families worry…" He says in his taunting voice as I walk into the apartment with him on my heels. I don't bother to answer his question, he knows exactly where I have been. I try to walk into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee but one of his strong hands slams into the wall in front of me and traps me. "So? Where have you been, my toy?" His eyes are shut and his smile is full of a razor sharp knives. _Oh shit_. I really must have pissed him off this time if he is giving me that face. It feels like my heart is in my throat as I swallow and try to sound calm.

"Hisoka, you know where I was. I have to get money somehow to pay for this place…" I am cut off abruptly as his other hand slams into the wall on the other side of my head and I am forced up against the wall.

"Ayaka, where did I go wrong? I thought Illumi and I raised you very well… tsk tsk. You know I don't like you going to that place." He reminds me as he brings one of his arms down from the wall to grab my chin and turn my face to look him in the eyes.

When I don't say anything he plants a kiss on my lips and I have no other option than to endure it. I don't know why he teases me like this. He must know how I feel about him, we've known each other for at least 5 years now. But still he insists on treating me like one of his toys and straining me emotionally. I know that he isn't likely to ever settle down. And then there is Machi… I slide my hands up onto his chest, ready to try and run if he does attempt another attack. _Why do you do this to me?_

The kiss ends as abruptly as it began and I am left wondering what is going to be my fate. "I am the only one allowed to touch you like this, Ayaka. Stop going to that pervert club, or I will _show_ you that I mean what I say." He whispers menacingly as he pulls away. He smiles softer before asking "Coffee?"

I roll my eyes and continue on into the kitchen. "Only for you, Hisoka. Don't forget it." When the coffee is finally ready I pour some in a mug for each of us and go to give the sadistic magician his own, but when I turn around though his gaze is placed firmly on my ass. _Again?_ "Hiisookaaa…"

Before I can clobber him, I sense a bloodlust feeling in the living room. A step to my right reveals Illumi entering through the front door and heading towards Hisoka. _Good. I won't have to get my hands dirty this time, Illumi can take care of him._

"Good morning Illumi! How was your trip here?" Hisoka says in an oblivious sounding tone. Illumi and I know better, but he still uses it when he feels like it.

"Like you didn't _know_." Illumi hisses as Hisoka takes another sip of the coffee. "You were supposed to meet me at the airport half an hour ago to help repay some of your debt." His long black hair hangs down his back like a waterfall, and sometimes I get the urge to braid it. Not that I ever will, I'm not that suicidal… He's also wearing his black pants and boots, red shirt with sleeves to the elbows, and leather vest with needles pushed into it. Signature Illumi.

"But I just had to see my precious Ayaka before we left~" Hisoka said as his eyes squinted into slits. Illumi glared right back. If anyone could hold their own against Hisoka, it was Illumi. For Christ's sake, he was a _Zoaldyck_!

"Good morning Illumi, do you want coffee for the road?" I offer, knowing that he wants to get on his trip as soon as possible. The assassin lets out an inaudible sigh and a nod so slight, that anyone but those closest to him would have missed it. I pull down a travel mug and pour coffee to the top, Illumi prefers his coffee black as his hair. "Happy hunting~" I say as I hand over the mug.

Illumi takes a sip of the coffee and nods, then grabs Hisoka by the arm. "She'll be fine, she isn't a child."

Hisoka gives Illumi an inaudible reply that has the Zoaldyck turning back to look at the magician so fast, there's a good chance he'll have whiplash later. Whatever he had said, he had even surprised the most stoic of assassins. Illumi turns slowly to look at me, and pulls out a slip of paper from his jacket pocket.

"While he's gone, go and get hunter certified. It pays better than that whore-house, and you won't have so many unpleasant visits from _this_ anymore." The older man says as he walks out of the apartment and slams the door. I turn the paper over and study the writing on the other side. It has the exact coordinates of the starting point for this year's exam on it.

"That's no fun…" I pout, even though I am secretly grateful. At least there's no food in the fridge, I'm probably gonna be gone for a while. I move into my bedroom and throw open the closet. There is a pack inside that was a gift from Hisoka last year, and I pull it out. A blanket, change of clothes, and my bank card go inside. Next I pull a flame red hoodie from my vanity chair and put it on, zipping it half way. Illumi had given it to me the day they had rescued me from that place, all those years ago… I flip on the hood and run into the kitchen. Snacks would be nice, and so would coffee. Instant coffee, some packages of cookies, chips, and matches go into the pack, then I zipper it up.

The exam starts in two days according to this slip of paper, and I guesstimate that it's gonna take me at least one day to get there. A flick of the wrist and the piece of paper is hidden in my pocket. Then a thought hits me. _Where is the Litrenan?_ My weapon of choice is a black scythe that had been in my family for generations. It was perfect for hunting various arctic creatures, and I was taught to use it at the age of 6. Every member of my family that ever used it carved a snowflake of their own design into the hilt before passing it down. I've tried counting before, but I always lose track. The Litrenan was one of the only things left in my home village when I returned. That and ice monkeys… _God I hate ice monkeys…._ I find it stashed with the blade in the wall. The fucking _wall_. "Goddammit Hisoka! When I find you, I am going to **kill** you…" I exclaim as I swing it out of the wall in a wide arch. The landlord is going to be pissy when he sees that… One last look at the apartment, and I shut the door.

{The next day}

These people… are crabby. I look around at all the biker dudes, ninja, samurai, spies, a business man, and a few oddities as I sit in a corner of the dungeon-like room. All in all, there are about 450 of us, and there is still a day until the exam begins. There are a few other women, but not many. This is probably going to be too extreme than many ordinary people, not to mention women, could handle anyways.

One large roly-poly of a man walks over and takes a seat next to me. He's in his mid-forties at least and his paunch jiggles as he sits. He holds out a meaty hand and says "I'm Toompa. Never seen you around before, rookie."

Hisoka told me about this one, and I already know that he is gonna be trouble. He drops his hand when I don't shake it and glances at Litrenan. "That's a nice weapon you've got there-"

"And if you keep talking to me I'll stick it in that fat tumor you call a stomach." I finish for him. I see real terror spark in his eyes as he jumps to his feet and scurries into the crowd. _That rookie crusher just got shut down!_ I smirk silently then pull out my ipod, an item I hadn't realized that I had packed until I got to Boston. The skull candy ear buds I bought when my others blew out are black to match the black cover of my ipod classic.

_I wonder how many more people are gonna show up... And how many are gonna get splattered by subway trains before they find this secret room…_ Not that it really matters, because I will pass the Hunter Exam before Hisoka and Illumi's mission is complete. My thumb presses the skip button at light speed until I find something I want to listen to, Kanye West's _Stronger_. Fitting, because if I don't get stronger, I will die….

Surprisingly, more and more people show up. A couple intellectual types, some muscle-heads, and a skinny guy with long greasy hair that hangs in his eyes. And he is _dirty_. He takes a seat against the wall about 7 feet from where I am. In his late teens, maybe 20 at the latest, this guy looks like the stereotypical drug addict. Crazy, dirty, and quiet. It's always the quiet ones….. A leather jacket, skinny jeans with what may be blood stains on them, and dirty black converses complete the look. I try not to show how much attention I am paying to him, I would rather be in the company of Hisoka than someone under the unpredictable influence of a hallucinogenic drug. I find druggies to be more dangerous, and that's seriously messed up with Hisoka in the mix.

I sneak another peek at the guy to make sure he hasn't moved, but he's gone. _Not. Good_. I slowly return my gaze to my ipod, preparing to pack up and become more alert, when a hand covers mine. I look up sharply, straight into the eyes of the druggie. _Isn't that ironic?_ I groan internally.

"What are you listening to? Mind if I join?" He says with a charming smile. His unnaturally red bangs hang in his eyes, and the rest hangs down almost to his shoulders. Green emerald eyes sit in his gaunt face, but it doesn't look emaciated, just thin. His grin has an innocent flare, but his canines are a little longer than anyone else I've seen.

"Country, at the moment. I don't mind, I guess. The name's Ayaka."

"I'm Jasper. Nice to meet you Ayaka." He says as he plops down on the side of me not occupied by Litrenan. "Never heard country…" I hand him the right ear bud, reminding myself to sanitize it later when I get it back. We sit listening to Dierk's new album for a while, until Jasper finally makes a comment.

"What's this one called?" he asks.

"Cold Cans. Why, do you like it?" I reply.

"It's not like the other songs in your country collection… Yea, I guess I like it. I'm just more of an Indie kind of guy." He sits back against the wall again with his hands behind his head. This is when I notice the black marks along the inside of his elbow. _So at least there won't be any cigarette smoke around, just dirty, used needles._ I tell myself sarcastically.

"You shouldn't judge people you've just met."

"What?" I say as I break away from inventorying the 15 little marks.

"I've been able to tell for a while now, you keep looking at me like I'm trash just because of my lifestyle." He replies, even though his eyes are closed and he looks more content than angry.

"I don't think your trash." I say matter of factly.

"Just unpredictably dangerous. You must be from some sheltered palace of a home, with a family that has too much money to care what the lesser people think." This time with a hint of challenge in his voice.

"No, I wish. My village no longer exists and I have no family to speak of. So if you are dangerous, I'm gonna tell you now: that doesn't mean I won't be missed if you decide to rape me and dump me somewhere. If that is your definition of fun, I hope you like psychotic magicians." I reply with my own haunted menace. I don't doubt that Hisoka would hunt him down for killing one of his play things. What I say seems to surprise him, and he sits up.

"I'm not a rapist; I'm a very unlucky orphan. Sounds like you and I might be two peas in a pod or something." He says looking into my eyes. After a minute he adds "I only took the drugs to survive. City streets aren't the best living environment, and I've seen my best friends killed 3 feet in front of me before. If I could, I'd travel back and tell myself that it wasn't worth it. Now I'm gonna have some fun before it kills me I suppose."

Jasper stands up and pulls the ear bud out of his ear. "I'll see you around." He says with a wilted grin. As he walks toward the entrance to the room I see him pull a syringe and vial from his pocket… 


	3. First StageXMemoryXSecond Stage

Chapter 2: First Stage X Memory X Second Stage

"Welcome to the Hunter exam, maggots." A woman with skin as dark as wet pine tree bark and orange hair that brushes the floor behind her announces as she enters the crowd. Her legs are clad in red leggings that dive into calf-high black high heeled boots that could be classified as dangerous weapons with the point they end at. Her jean skirt sits low on her hips and a tee with flame prints barely meets her belly button. "I am Cressalia, your first proctor."

She is a decent sized woman. Not skinny, but not overweight. With her heels she stands at 6 feet even, I'd say. Cressalia scans the crowd and spends maybe half a second more on the contestants that I suspect she thinks will make it to the end. Not many.

Jasper and I stand side by side as she explains the first exam. "In my opinion, 780 contestants is far too large a number to be taking the exam. In my stage, it will be a battle royale, anything goes. This includes knock outs and fatalities. I will stop you when we have gotten it down to a more feasible number. You will receive neither tools nor weapons; make do with what you have. For your sakes, I really hope you came prepared." As she finishes her spiel, the doors slam close at the entrance to the room, cutting off the exits. "FIGHT!"

Cressalia jumps up and grabs onto a railing above us, swinging onto a hidden ledge as the contestants around me begin to brawl. I wasn't expecting such a short and to the point introduction to the exam or even the first stage. My preoccupation almost costs me the exam when Jasper lifts a gun and points it towards my head. The pistol clicks, and I hear a heavy thud behind me. A mountain of a man lies in a puddle of blood that has the collective contributions of many fallen people.

"Stop spacing out or you will end up like that guy." Jasper says as he puts a hand on my shoulder. A samurai rushes up in the next second and I pull the Litrenan into action. Blood and gore covers the walls and the floor, people and weapons. With each swing I kill another person. I have to duck down quickly when I hear the whizzing of a whip though. After the resounding crack above my head, I hear this cackling laughter.

"Vat is this? You actually dodged my whip… Well Frauline, let's dance." With another crack of the whip I have to push my head to the side quickly. I feel the air swish past my neck, then back again. "Beautiful… Again! AGAIN! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" I feint and dodge, roll and twist. My opponent has long blond hair that is pulled into a ponytail and is wearing an outfit similar to that of a lion tamers at the circus. His eyes are the palest shade of blue and they hold nothing but a cold and instinctual urge to kill. Each movement I dodge the whip and attempt a swing with the Litrenan. Then I am caught off guard. The next time the crazed German man cracks his whip, I feel a change in the air. It gets hot, and I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Just as the whip snaps, flames erupt from the whips tip. Some of it catches on my clothes and I have to hurry to pat them out. Then, all of a sudden, I stop. This scene… it merges with one from my memories…

_The day I was taken prisoner. I had been out collecting tundra herbs and smallish game that had been caught in traps. As I reached the crest of the hill that overlooked the village, I knew something was wrong. Black, black smoke covered the sky and our home. Villagers ran around frantically, searching for loved ones as men on black motorbikes ran them down and killed whomever they wanted. Before I knew it, I was running towards the flames and smoke. My shack of a home was a wall of flames. _

"MOM, DAD!"_ I screamed as I threw myself at the door to try and find them, but a strong hand grasped my elbow before I could dive in._

"What the hell do you think you are doing Ay?"_ Den yelled as he pulled me back. "_They aren't here; we've been looking for you! C'mon, we gotta go, now"_. _

_As he stooped down to pick me up I was reminded of how strong he was. Den and his twin brother Cal were the champion wrestlers of our village. A bike whizzed around the corner at the end of the alley way and Den started running. We gained some ground where the bike was too big to follow, and eventually jumped out of the smoke on the other side of the village. Den put me down and gave a big cheeky smile as another bike slammed into him from nowhere._

"DEN!"

"Ayaka… Ayaka… Ayaka!" When I open my eyes I have my hands over my ears and am kneeling in a pool of blood. Jasper is crouching in front of me and his hand is gripping one of my wrists tightly. The man I had been fighting is dead, killed by a bullet to the head.

"Girl, you are gonna get killed or mutilated if you keep spacing out like this." Cressalia has dropped from her perch and is standing with her hands on her hips looking at us.

"Are you ok?" Jasper asks as he helps me to my feet. I can feel blood clotting on my face and tears and sweat rolling down my cheeks. I give him a nod then pick up the Litrenan which hasn't been soiled too much despite being dropped into the pool of blood I was kneeling in. More than anything I am embarrassed as hell. Hisoka would kill me if he knew what I had done. I'm also confused. Jasper and I barely know each other and for some reason he saved me and has been hovering around like some protective older brother even though I have been an extreme space case. I give a shake as if to rid myself of the confusion and walk over as Cressalia opens a door on the far side of the room and ushers the remaining 400 people into a large hallway. It's much nicer than the dungeon like room I have been in for the past few days. The walls are covered in pale yellow paisley wallpaper and the floor has black stone tiles that have been glossed. Candles are perched on the walls every yard, keeping the hallway lighed only as much would be needed not to trip. Jasper and I make it into the middle of the crowd and listen as the other contestants around us chatter. Up ahead I see that human roly poly Toompa somehow made it through the first stage. A few other people I recognize from the first day I arrived are mixed throughout the crowd.

Every few minutes there is a thud somewhere behind us as someone who received pretty bad wounds falls from blood loss. I look back the first few times then ignore them. We must have walked at least a mile when Cessalia stops short.

"I am going to begin pairing you up for the next stage. If there is an uneven number of people left, the odd man out is alone." A light turns on above her and I can see a door back another ten feet from where we are. Each pair is random. People receive same gender partners, opposite gender partners, same strength, weaker and stronger partners, as well as some people who seem to have the same fashion sense, if that was intentional or not, I have no clue. As Cressalia comes through the crowd, it looks like she is gonna split Jasper and I.

"You know what; you two can be a pair. Just remember why you came here when you make decisions from now on. That's my final bit of advice." Then she continues on.

"She is an interesting woman, don't you think?" Jasper asks with a smirk.

"Suppose so, reminds me of my mother. She had the same attitude with the teenagers of our village when they weren't using their heads." I reply. I shift my back pack from my left shoulder to my right, then I shift my weight. I don't feel any wounds from the brawl, but my knees are a little sore_. I probably hit the ground hard…_

"I wonder what the next stage is all about." Jasper says as the door opens. A tiny girl who looks about 18 enters the hallway. She's petite and has a fragile kind of air about her, as she stands in front of our large crowd. Her hair is black and tied in a bun with a few strands hanging in her eyes. She calls out in a sing song voice.

"Cressalia, are you done pairing them up?"

"Just finished. You're gonna have fun with this batch, Shiori." And with that I can hear Cressalia's footsteps as she returns back the way we came.

"Welcome to the second stage. I will be your proctor. This stage is about assessing the skills of an assassin. BUT, at the same time we have saddled you with an unexpected twist. There will be two sessions, one for each partner to participate in. During your partners turn you can sabotage their efforts and get them failed. Or you can save eliminating them for a later time. More details will be explained once you are in place… and just remember to think wisely before you act."  
Murmuring erupts from the crowd before Shiori holds up her palm.

"In the door behind me is another room. There are two doors, and each leads to another space. Each group will file in one by one and I will direct you to which you should enter." With that final remark, our second proctor enters the door and people begin filing through it after her.

"What do you thinks going to happen in their Jas… Jasper?" I turn to ask, but discover that he is heading through the crowd towards the back. It isn't easy, but I struggle through the crowd as well. _What the hell is he doing?_ When I exit the crowd of exam takers, I can't see Jasper but I hear his footsteps continuing slowly down the hall. He didn't go far, and just as I am out of sight of the crowd I almost run into his back.

"Where is it…. Where… ah, there you are…" Jasper whispers in a hushed tone to himself. He has no idea that I am right behind him. I reach a hand out to touch his shoulder.

"Jasper-"

Quicker than a cobra strike, Jasper whips around. He drops his pack, and in the hand extended closest to me is an open pocket knife. Whatever is in his other hand quickly disappears as it is shoved into his pocket. "Who… Oh, its… it's just you."

Jaspers eyes are bloodshot and his hand is noticeably shaking as he closes his pocket knife and returns it to a sheath on his belt. He tilts his head so that his hair covers his eyes then gives a sigh.

"Sorry, I just need a minute. I was hoping you wouldn't notice me leaving… In any case, go on and head back to the group. I'll be right behind you." That's when everything clicks and I remember.

"You really do need that stuff, don't you?"

Jasper turns his back to me then replies "Yea… Now go on, I said I'll be right behind you."

I'm reluctant to leave, but I know he doesn't want me to watch either. As I walk slowly back to the crowd which has almost disappeared completely into the door, I hear Jasper running up behind me. His eyes look a little better and he seems to have stopped shaking.

"I'm sorry, I hope you weren't too worried about me."

"I am worried about you. You are probably one of the only friends I have had in a long time. Besides, It's nice to have someone to talk to who isn't sexually harassing me or threatening me constantly-" I reply as we come up to the door.

"Ayaka, if someone is treating you like that, you shouldn't stick around. You can do so much better than him!" Jasper exclaims as he grips my shoulder and quickly turns me to look at him. His eyes are crazy, and he looks ready to beat some ass.

"Calm down, Jasper. I can take care of myself…" I'm disturbed by this side of him. Even though I know he is concerned, a primal instinct is telling me that it isn't entirely safe to be right next to him at the moment. A more modern instinct tells me it's because of his addiction.

"Hey! If you guys still want to take the exam, get your asses in here ASAP, Lovebirds." Shiori calls from the door. She looks a little harassed and there's a faint blush on her cheeks. Jasper lets go and ushers me into the room. The door shuts with a heavy clang and Shiori hands me a piece of paper.

"That has your assassination targets on it. For the first round, the gentleman here will be tested. Each round will last one whole day, so when you get tired you will have to find a place to sleep if you think it's safe enough. When the buzzer sounds, switch roles. Whoever isn't hunting is free to do anything they want but hunt targets. Here are your packs:"

Shiori hands us each a pack about the size of a lunch box. Inside are various tools for assassination. "Now, please enter the door to your right and good luck on the exam."


	4. Bakeries X Surprises X Drugs

**Chapter 3: Bakeries X Surprises X Drugs**

White. Everything is devastatingly white after the dungeon and darkened hallway. The walls, the floor, the ceiling, and the lights that dot the hallway are a stark and brilliant white. I have to squint to stop my eyes from hurting. Jasper is a couple steps ahead of me, hurrying down the hall towards a single door that remains open, and the rest have been shut and locked. I jog to keep up, but this Jasper is different. The atmosphere around us is crackling with energy and I don't think it would be wise to get too close.

We come up to the door and the inside is dark again. Jasper walks in and I follow cautiously behind him. The room isn't really a room, but an underground city. It looks as real as anything in the outside world, but at the same time, instinctually I know it is fake. A deep twilight has settled over the simulation and not a sound can be heard. Jasper grabs my wrist and runs into the nearest building, a bakery, as an explosion erupts from where we were moments ago.

"Awesome, other people are already set up and ready to go." I mumble under my breath.

"That's not even the best part." Jasper replies.

"Wha-" Before I can ask, the front door is blown open by another explosion. Glass flies into the building and crashes against the ground, some embedding itself into my forearms where I pushed the sleeves of my sweatshirt to my elbows. The room is filled with smoke from the attack and I have to suppress the urge to gasp when Jasper picks me up. _What is it with guys and picking me up? Seriously, I can handle myself.._. Jasper has found a set of stairs and is bounding up them, but I can hear the enemy getting closer. His footsteps are heavy and he doesn't seem to care about keeping quiet. After 2 flights of stairs and multiple doorways we come upon a fire escape door at the top of the stairs and Jasper kicks it open. He puts me down on the roof of the bakery then opens his pack. He rifles through it, mumbling as he goes.

"There!" Jasper pulls out a device and a long wire that he begins attaching to the door. He snaps the case closed then motions behind a large chimney. We make it just in time for the man to walk through the door. A large rocket launcher is propped on one of his shoulders, and his biker get up is covered in dust and debris from downstairs. The man trips as he hits Jaspers wire, and falls flat on top of the device that the wire was connected to. A scream tears through the city as he is impaled by the device and shocked repeatedly. Jasper clicks a button in his pack, causing the shocks to stop attacking the lifeless charred man.

"Lucky break, that guy was on my list. Dunno if I was on his, but now I only have one more. Are you ok, Ayaka? Hey, why aren't you answering me?" Jasper asks. I have long since turned my back towards him and am walking towards the edge of the roof. Yes, he saved my life. But I am no damsel in distress; I can take care of myself. Between him and Hisoka, I don't know why I haven't turned into some crazy psychopath… yet. "Ayaka!"

"WHAT?" I yell as I get up on the railing that surrounds the roof.

"What in the Hell do you think you are doing? Do you realize we are in an assassination challenge? If you are on someone's list, you're gonna get shot. Now come down from there!"

"Pffft, Fine." I say as I jump back down, only because he has a point.

"What's the matter with you? I'm starting to think you have a death wish or something." Jasper says as he looks at me with concern and anger.

"I don't need to be protected. I can take care of myself. You don't know who I am really, but you keep protecting me like you have some kind of claim over my life. I-" I am stopped dead in the middle of my rant as Jasper grabs my arms and pulls me into a kiss. His lips are cool but earnest, and his arms are crushing me into his surprisingly muscled chest. Not ripped… but just perfect. Then I remember that I have someone I like, and I hardly know Jasper. I try to push away, but his arms are unyielding. After a couple more attempts he grasps my wrists and pushes me up against the wall that the door comes out of. My only real choice is to give up, Jasper is too strong… and in all actuality, I don't mind. He's a real good kisser. Hisoka's a little older than I am, but Jasper is a little younger. And on a side note, they both have different styles of kissing.

"**That** is why I have been protecting you." He says as he leans his head against my shoulder. His shoulder length coffee-brown hair is softer than I expected and it tickles my neck.

"So you could make out with me?" I ask a little sarcastically.

"No, because even though I have only known you for a few days, I really like you. You're funny. Rough at times but a sweet girl on the inside, and instincts say that you and I are kindred spirits. As long as I am around, I'm not going to let anyone hurt you." He says as he turns his head and plants a small kiss on my neck before straightening up. "I don't know who this other guy is, but I'll kill him if I have to. You shouldn't be abused or harassed by the one you love…"

"You won't be able to kill Hisoka… No one has ever come close." I whisper, torn.

"We'll see about that. Now, I'm gonna go down stairs and grab whatever food hasn't been ruined. I'm starving!" Jasper replies as he runs down the stairs.

I slump against the wall and slide to the ground, defeated, as I pull out my list of targets.

About 20 minutes later, Jasper returns with some rolls and an entire buttercream frosting cake. He goes on about how he even found a shower in a back room, and I can tell the difference immediately. He's much cleaner and smells like Irish Spring. As I start splitting up the food, Jasper looks back at his list of people so he can memorize his other target. It's been dark for a while now, but I can't be sure if we are in real time or if this is a manipulation of the proctors. A quick glance at my watch they provided in the pack says it's almost 10 at night.

"We should find some place to rest if you are up to it. I'll have all day until 8 pm tomorrow to find this guy." Jasper says with a yawn.

"I'm sure we can take turns letting the other sleep. I'll take first watch, so let's find you some place to rest… what?" I reply until Jasper starts shaking his head.

"Ladies first."

"Are you kidding me? You just yawned, I've still got some stamina to go off of. I promise I won't let anyone kill you in your sleep." I say incredulously. _**Men**_.

"That's not the problem. I was trying to be a gentleman, but if you really aren't tired, I'll sleep first. C'mon, I saw a bedroom downstairs." Jasper picks up his pack and heads for the door way back down into the building. I follow closely behind, ready for anything. We get to the bedroom without a confrontation and I shut and lock the door. Not that that'll do much to deter the types of people taking this crazy test but hey, whatever. There is a queen sized bed against the wall on the left and a single window on the wall at the right. A large walk in closet makes up the back wall with a single sliding door. Jasper jumps onto the bed and crawls into the covers. Since the bed takes up most of the room, I sit on the opposite edge and watch outside the window.

"Wake me up by 2 am ok? Then you can sleep Ayaka…." Jasper yawns again as he falls asleep.

An hour passes and besides the occasional scream of a dying examinee, it's pretty uneventful. I recline on the bed and continue watching out the window though. It's soo boring… Until I remember that I brought my MP3. I pull it out and put a single ear bud in, so that I can still hear in case of emergency. It helps, but in another hour I am bored again. I shut off the device so that I can save battery power and look over at Jasper. He's been sleeping soundly, and I'm glad. If he was the kind of person who rolled around in their sleep he'd probably drive me crazy.

His lower lip is drooping a little and his innocent sleeping face is really cute. Dark brown hair sticks out almost like a porcupines quills all over his pillow. His cheek bones are sharply jutting out and I can see the outlines of every bone in his wrist, constant reminders of his addiction. If I hadn't met Hisoka, I'd probably be in love with him. But, in my current situation, I can only see him as my best friend. Maybe with benefits. That kiss…

I shake my head. I can't believe I started thinking that! I sit up so that I can stare out the window again and Jasper stirs, turning towards me in his sleep.

"Aya…ka…" he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls his face up against my back, surprising me. And yet… he's still asleep.

I turn halfway so that I can pet his hair.

**Jasper's POV**

Around 2 Ayaka wakes me up. The exhaustion is evident on her face, and it makes me feel terrible. I really wish she had slept first. She crawls into the bed as I take her spot near the window. It's a while before she really falls asleep, but when she does I am able to pull out my stash of 'Peter Pan'. Thinking back, taking this stuff from Marley was the worst idea I've ever had. The trips were great, but now I need more and more of it just to function. June died from an OD on it; Gil got shot trying to steal more. God knows where Pip and my sister ran off to. Now I'm all that's left…

I pull out a syringe and draw up half the vial, then shoot it into my elbow. It stings like a bitch going in, but it soothes the soul once it's flowing through my veins. I feel the effects of it as it spreads through my arm to my chest and flows smoothly down to my toes. The room starts changing colors, and the window starts to swim off the wall towards me. The sheets of the bed feel like the smoothest silk and the ceiling looks like it could be as tall as that of a cathedral. Within 15 minutes I've burned off the high, but I feel much better. One look at Ayaka's sleeping face and I'm more than ashamed. She's depending on me to watch so she can sleep, for Christ's sake! I grab the vial and syringe then throw open the window.

I go to throw them out the window then clutch them to my chest for dear life. Can I do this? I've never gone without the stuff since that first dose. Gil tried to stop once and he looked like a real-life zombie with sunken eyes and ashen lips. If I can't do this for myself, can I do it for her? I've only known her a few days, but there is something about her that just lures me in…

"I want to be a man you can be proud of." I say to Ayaka, even though I know she can't hear me. Her long dirty blond hair is cascading around her face and flowing over the pillows. "I swear, I'm gonna change, and when the exam is over I'm taking you from this Hisoka guy. You are the first good thing that has happened to me in a while." Before I can stop myself I pitch my drugs out the window then cross the room to kiss her lips. I'm about to go back to the window when her lips respond. Our kiss earlier was good, but this one is so much more. She opens her mouth just the slightest bit and exhales a sweet breath into mine. I can't believe I am taking advantage of a sleeping though more than willing, girl. I break the kiss and go over to the window. I'm warmer than comfortable so I pull off my shirt and stuff it in my pack. It feels like they might be jacking up the temperature in the simulation.

I'm about to sit on the bed again when I feel arms slip around my waist and breath in my ear. "That's an interesting way to wake someone up."

I stiffen because I know this voice, and it isn't Ayaka's. I break from the embrace and turn towards the voice. "Josephine."

"Ah, you remember me, do you? How nice of you, _big brother_." My little sister grins with all the malice she can muster. Her hair has been cropped to ear length since the last time I saw her and is died red. An eye patch covers her left eye, the other is blood shot and surrounded by dark purple bruises. She's thin, even more so than when I last saw her.

"Where's that bastard Pip?" I ask, knowing that if she is here, that douche can't be far.

"Right here." His rough voice calls from the bed. He's hovering over Ayaka and just barely tracing her lips with a long dirty finger nail. "Ain't she just so adorable? I'd love to break her arm."

"You get the fuck away from her, Pip, or I'll be sending you in pieces back to Marley." I growl, trying not to wake Ayaka.

"Pip, if I ever see you with another girl like that again, I'll feed you your dick on a hot dog bun." Josephine hisses, pulling him off the bed and away from Ayaka.

"Jeez, you two are definitely related." Pip says, running a hand through his short blond hair. He looks just as bad as Josephine does. His green eyes flicker between me and Josie for a few seconds before he shrugs his shoulders.

"You have three seconds to state your business then fly out that door because I have no need for a family reunion." I say then hold up three fingers.

"Where's your stash of "Pan"?" Josephine says with a murderous flair.

"Out that window. I'm done with that shit." I put a finger down.

"What the fucking hell is the matter with you jazz? You know how much that stuff sells for?" they yell in unison. Another finger goes down, leaving them the middle finger salute.

"If you want it, go find it. Otherwise, I'll kill you both." I say with a cheeky grin, just to piss Josie off.

"Whatever. Let's go Pip, we can find us some free 'happy juice' then finish this exam. When we are Hunters we will have so much money that we can just buy "Pan" until we learn to fly. Fuck you later, Jazz."

"Never in your dreams, Josie." _My sister and her sex toy are part of the exam…. Joy._


	5. Ambush X Immaturity X Hisoka?

Chapter 4: Ambush X Immaturity X Hisoka?

I'm awoken by the sound of a gunshot, and it was close. So close in fact, that as I start to make sense of my surroundings I realize that Jasper is the one who fired the shot. He ducks down out of the window sill and begins packing his pistol back into its holster at his hip.

"That'll do it!" He says cheerfully as he snaps the holster closed. Gazing up through his longish coffee brown hair, Jasper looks at me as I stretch my arms up to the ceiling and grunt in contentment. "Morning sleepy head."

"Morning…" I say with a yawn, and then jump off the bed. "Who're you shooting at?"

Jasper picks up his pack and hands me mine after I've pulled on my black seal fur boots. "I got my second target, we should probably relocate before anyone comes snooping." Before I can reply he's bounding down the stairs and heading back into the debris of the bakery. I have to jog to keep up, but I don't mind the pace. Jasper jumps up into the windowsill then motions me up beside him. Overnight the underground city has been transformed into a ravaged pile of debris. I have no doubt that the other examinees made this mess trying to kill each other.

I step down onto the sidewalk and start sprinting towards a building that resembles a church. It isn't as badly ravaged as the other buildings nearby and once it comes time for me to begin the hunt I will have a good vantage point. As I reach the doors someone grabs my arm and tugs me inside roughly.

"Ayaka!"

It's dark inside the church and it takes a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the murky gloom. Dust particles float past me and I sneeze as some enter my nose. A girl is sitting in front of me with her arms crossed. Her legs hang over the arm of the chair while she regards me. I can only see on eye, but the cruelty reflected in it makes my blood run cold. A dirty boy holds me by the elbow. His eyes are crazy as they shift from place to place, never staying still for more than a second. He reminds me of someone, but I can't quite place it.

"Pip…." The girl drawls out as she shifts to stare at him. "I didn't want her, I wanted Jazz. Toss her back out then snatch that mutha fucker before I claw the prettiest rose you have ever seen into your face."

"B-but… We can use h-her, Josie. He'll come for her; sh-she's his _Achilles Heel_." Pip stutters out then clutches his elbow. A groan escapes his lips before he falls to one knee, dragging me with him despite his weakness.

"This is exactly why it was imperative to get Jazz. We need more 'Pan' or you are gonna waste away Babe…" Josie cooes as she completely changes in demeanor. Her emaciated body twists in the chair before she slides to the ground and approaches us.

I try to think fast, every second that I am in their grasp makes me even more vulnerable. With a swift kick to the groin I knock Pip down and run for the exit. With a hiss and screech of rage Josie follows closely behind me before pulling ahead and blocking the exit. At the same time a window crashes in and Jasper rolls onto the floor before training his pistol on the girl. The eye I couldn't see before is covered by an eye patch, but at the sight of Jasper her good eye glitters.

"Nice to see you again, Jazz. This has got to be a record, twice in one day…" Josie purrs as she slithers away from the door. She comes closer towards me, but before she can grab me I lunge for a pew and vault over it. With the wooden bench between her and me, she seems a little frustrated but otherwise calm. I grasp the Litrenan tighter, having pretty much forgotten about it in the past 24 hours. The weapon really is more like an extension of my own arm. Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I observe the scene before me.

The guy who had held me before is sprawled on the floor and panting. Josie is walking towards Jasper who still has his gun trained on her, trailing her fingertips along the edges of dusty pews. "So Jasper, where's the 'Pan'? I'm really not in the mood to debate this with you any longer. You told us you threw it out the window, but it was nowhere in the vicinity…"I watch as she pulls a rod from a pocket in her camouflage cargo pants. "I'll give you to the count of 3."

"One" Josie holds the rod out from her body. Jasper cocks his pistol, keeping it trained on her.

"Two" The girl swung her hand towards Jasper and the rod extends into a spear. As I stand and prepare to attack, I hear a gun shot. With a screech of pain Josie tightly grasps her left shoulder and drops her weapon. Blood darkens her light tan blouse.

"You bastard… You're pretty sick, shooting up your own sister. I didn't even call three yet… This ain't over." She pulls something from her pocket and throws it at the ground. With the tinkling of broken glass, smoke fills the church.

"Jasper? Jasper, where are you?" I call, holding the Litrenan out in a defensive position.

"Ayaka, stay where you are. I'm coming." He replies with a cough. A minute later he grabs my elbow and starts leading me towards a stairway. "We need to get upstairs before anyone investigates."

"Jasper, who is she?" I ask when we emerge from the smoke into a long hallway. Jasper drops my arm and ignores my question. He tries to walk away but I grab his shoulder. "Hey! I asked you a question."

"Well I don't feel like answering." He snaps as he shrugs out of my grasp.

"Well then I don't feel like staying with you anymore." I say, irritated at my friend's attitude.

"Fine."

"Double Fine."

"Whatever."

Without another word I turn on my heel and head in the opposite direction. I slip into an office with a single window and lock the door by pushing a desk up against it. Then some chairs. And a bookcase. And in a final fit of rage, I throw a vanity up on top like a cherry to my chaos sundae. _Stupid Jasper. I don't like not knowing shit that could involve me._ I think as I open the window. I still have half a day before my turn, and I'm tired as hell. 4 hours of sleep isn't enough… Shutting the window and drawing the shades, I pull off my sweatshirt and bundle it up like a pillow. "Dunno about that dumbass, but I'm gonna get some more sleep while I got the chance.

Evening sunshine peeks under the shades straight into my closed eye lids. As I roll over, I remember where I am and shoot to my feet. "What time is it?" I pull out the kit Shiori gave me and rifle through to find my watch. The glowing digital clock says its 7 pm. "Almost time… I wonder where that dumbass went."

As quietly as possible I start to dismantle the barricade in front of the door. I have to use the bathroom and I know I saw one down the hall. Once everything is out of the way I crack open the door and look out. Jasper is leaning up against a wall and looking at me.

"You gonna come out now?"

"I'm not talking to you." I reply as I slip past him and head towards the bathroom. He tries to grab my arm but I twirl like a dancer out of the way and hear him give an irritated growl.

"You're being immature." _Duh, I know that!_

"Takes one to know one."

"Really? I'd like to talk to grown up Ayaka please."

"Grown up Ayaka needs to use the ladies room, please leave a message after the tone… BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!" I call back as I pick up the pace and start sprinting for the bathroom. Apparently that was effective enough because there isn't another peep from him until I'm finished. I reenter my hideout and beckon Jasper in, even though I wanna hit him over the head with the side of Litrenan's blade.

"How are you gonna kill your opponents from here with a close range weapon like that scythe?" Jasper asks while I push the barricade back up against the wall. "No wonder why I couldn't get in…" he mutters.

"I'm gonna act like a big cat. Wait until my prey flashes in front of my face, then pouce." I reply as I chuck the vanity on top of the pile again.

"And how are you gonna get out in time?" He says looking up at the top of the pile.

"Out the window." I say as I cross the room and throw open the window again.

"You can't go out the window, we're up too high." Jasper replies. He walks over to the window as well and looks down at the street. "Unless you climb down, but you'd be a sitting duck."

"And that's where you come in." I reply.

"What do you mean 'that's where I come in'?" Jasper eyebrows are arched as high as they'll go in disbelief.

"You have a long range weapon; just make sure that no one else has a long range weapon trained on me, Please." Maybe if I use the magic word he'll shut up.

"You're reckless today."

"Maybe you're just finally meeting the real me." I reply a little ticked.

"Fine…" He concedes with a sigh. I pull out my kit again and begin searching through the gear I have to work with. A blow dart could be useful, but I think it'd work better mid-range… There's some kind of liquid in a bottle but it's going to be hard to poison anyone in this challenge. A pocket knife will be good as a last resort though. I dip the blade in the liquid then set it on the window to dry in the setting sun.

**BRRRRRRRRRRRRZZZZZZZZZZZZTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"**ATTENTION EXAM TAKERS!"**

"**IT IS NOW TIME TO SWITCH HUNTERS, THANK YOU."**

"**AND HAPPY HUNTING!"**

I jump as a speaker in the corner of the room blares out Shiori's voice. I never noticed the device until now. Jasper puts a hand on my arm to steady me. Grabbing the Litrenan, I swing out the window and hide behind a gargoyle. Some people have already ventured out into the streets. Most of them have some kind of sword or gun drawn. Another couple are perched on roofs, scanning the roads. I hear a whistle and turn my head towards the sound. On the next building over there's a man waving in my direction. His red hair is spiked up and it takes me a moment to recognize his outfit.

"Hisoka?!" I cry out, then remember that I'm supposed to be quiet. A girl on the ground heard me. With a jerk of her head she spots me and pulls a sniper off her back. I jump out of the way in time, and Jasper pokes his head out of the window.

"What the hell are you doing? Do you need help?"

"I-" Before I can say anymore, I watch as Hisoka drops from the roof of the building and lands in front of my assailant. A blood curdling scream alerts me to her death, and when I look back over the edge of the roof, Hisoka has pinned her to the wall of the next building over with cards. Blood pours out of her wounds, but I can tell she's already gone. The magician tilts his head in my direction and blows me a kiss before disappearing into the next alley over.

_What the fuck is he doing here?_


	6. TargetsXPoisonXMigraines

Targets X Poison X Migraines

I climb farther up onto the roof to try and find Hisoka again, but he's long gone. Peering back over the side, I watch as 5 other examinees fight it out in a battle royal. One girl is bleeding heavily from a cut on her forehead, and a younger man has lost an arm already. Upon closer inspection he is my first target. _Shit_, **I** _have to be the one to kill my target or it doesn't count… I hope this doesn't kill me._ With a running start I vault off the roof towards the group. Wind whistles in my ears and my hair flies out behind me as the ground speeds towards me. I land with one foot on the first girls shoulder and spring back into the air. She gives a shriek of pain and the others make other various sounds of surprise. With a mid-air flip I bring my black scythe, the Litrenan, over my head and swing it down upon my target. Blood spurts into the air and with a grunt of surprise, he dies. I bring the Litrenan back up into a ready and position and look over the rest of the group. None of them are my target, but apparently I am one of theirs.

A woman with a short pixie cut hairdo and huge breasts sets her bow in my direction with a look of satisfaction. Her jacket is the color of polished mahogany, jeans the hue of a dark evening sky and boots are worn from many rough adventures. "Thanks for making my job easier, girl."

She releases her arrow and it narrowly misses my arm as I dodge to the right. The other competitors begin brawling again as well. Within minutes the smaller girl is dead and the remaining large muscled men are running off victorious. Another arrow whizzes by my ear as I climb up onto a trellis and scurry back to the window. Warm blood wells from the cut and runs down the side of my neck.

"Ayaka? What the Hell? What ever happened to common sense around here?" Jasper says as he aims his pistol at the woman. Since he is forbidden to hunt in this round he lets loose a shot at her feet that causes her to back off long enough for me to jump into the room.

Jasper locks the window and pulls the shades. "Did you at least find any of your targets?... Oh great, and you're bleeding." He says as he starts moving around me like a worried mother hen.

"I'm fine Jasper, I just… need a… nap…" I say as it becomes hard for me to speak. I feel like my mouth is full of cotton and it's getting harder to concentrate on Jaspers words as he sits me down. He pulls on my ear where her second arrow had grazed it and I hear him say something about "poison".

"Ayaka, stay with me. I'm gonna try and suck the poison out. If that doesn't work, I'll get the antidote…." I shiver as I feel his hot breath on my ear and he begins to suck at the cut. I concentrate on keeping my eyes open but it's getting harder to do so. With a sigh I give in and let my head rest on his lap.

When I open my eyes, I have the biggest migraine I've ever experienced. I tilt my head towards a trash can and vomit, unable to keep it down. Stretching my hand into my back pack I find a water bottle and clean out my mouth then take big gulping sips. I'm sweaty from my feverish sleep and my hair sticks to my neck. Jasper must have been able to suck out the poison if I am still alive. I scan the room trying to find him but he's nowhere to be found. The barricade in front of the door has been removed though. I crawl over since my headache is keeping me from standing. Jasper is in the hall talking to someone. Trying to concentrate past the pounding in my head, I focus on the persons face and see that it's the girl from before. Her boyfriend stands off a little ways behind her and is fiddling with something in his hand… _a knife?_

"Jazz, I am **DONE** playing with you! Where is the rest of your 'pan'? It's all well and good if you are gonna play the sober card, but we are too far gone for that and so aren't you. You can die like Molly did, alone and sober in that alley but we will not be dragged down with you!" She yells.

"And I'm telling _YOU_ that I don't have it anymore. You have such a thick skull some days, Josie-"

The boy that I think is named Pip lunges for Jasper with his knife extended, interrupting his reply. Slashing wildly, he finally gets a nice slice down the length of Jaspers forearm and slicing open the arm of his leather jacket. Blood spatters on the ground with a _plish plop_ sound.

_No_! I finally realize why he had looked so familiar to me before, because Pip is my second target. With shaky hands I grasp the Litrenan and haul myself to my feet. "I don't know how these people are connected to Jasper, but this ends now." I say as I lunge into the hallway. Jasper falls to the ground grasping his arm and as Pip prepares for a second attack I slam the Litrenan into his side with so much force that he is thrown into the opposite wall.

The dirty boy in front of me gives a gasp as he slowly slides to the floor. The sharp blade of the Litrenan cut deep into his abdomen when I hit him and he groans as I pull it from his body. Crimson pools in the hallway and on my blade as Pip shudders and dies with a barely audible "Fuck you".

"Don't touch… Jasper… You fucking scum…" I pant out. My legs are shaking more violently now and I start to slide to the floor before Josie runs in and grabs me by my long brown hair.

"You **BITCH**! I am going to have fun poking holes in you and watching you writhe in agony." She extends her retractable spear and tries to shove it into my abdomen a few times. Each time I twist out of the way until there is an opening for me to bring the tip of the Litrenan to her arm that is holding me. Slicing a long jagged line down to her wrist I scramble free. Stumbling back, she runs into Jasper who shoves her towards the stairs weakly.

"Josie, get out of here, and don't let me ever see your face ever again. If you want 'Pan', you're gonna have to get it the old fashioned way." He pushes her again and she starts running. "Ayaka! Are you ok? You just can't keep yourself in one piece today."

"What about yourself?" I say with a grin. "I get knocked out for a little bit and you start more trouble. Let me see that arm of yours…"

"It's fine." He says as he pulls a needle and thread from his kit and begins sewing up the gash. "How's your head? I just barely was able to suck that stuff out of you, I was worried I was too late."

"I'm ok." I whisper as I lean my head back against the wall and cover my eyes. "I just have the biggest migraine in the history of forever. How much time do we have left?"

"The test is almost.. urk… over." He replies as he pulls the stitching tight. "5 minutes left tops. I don't know if you are gonna make it trying to find your final target. And maybe that's for the best… I don't know if I can afford another heart attack over you."

"I got him, my second target."

"Who? When?" He asks with a look of surprise on his face.

I jerk my thumb over at Pip's lifeless body and crawl back into the dark office. The lights in the hallway are bright enough that they are intensifying my headache.

Jasper follows me in and passes me some advil and my bottle of water. I gulp it down while he takes the trash can that I threw up into and puts it in the bathroom.

**BRRRRRRRRRRRRZZZZZZZZZZZZTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"**ATTENTION EXAM TAKERS!"**

"**THIS PORTION OF THE EXAM IS NOW OVER, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE SQUARE IN THE CENTER OF TOWN."**

"**THANK YOU!"**

** "**Come on, let's get out of this place." I grab my Litrenan and Jasper supports me on his good arm. 20 minutes later, all the survivors are gathered and Shiori is giving keys to the ones who killed their own targets in the allotted time. The others are gathered up by a man in a purple suit who doesn't have a mouth and brought back into the hallway where we entered the arena from. I assume that he is another Hunter.

"Congratulations to the 20 of you who have passed this portion of the exam. The keys I passed out are for your own personal suite on the air ship that will be bringing you to the final leg of the exam. Follow me and I will lead you up to the air strip." Shiori announces. The final 20 of us follow her to a skyscraper that is miraculously untouched. She unlocks the doors and we enter a lobby with multiple elevators. We enter the largest one that is located directly behind the reception desk and it fits all of us comfortably. Some of the men who are left give me lewd looks but Jasper pulls me closer and glares at them until they give up and start talking amongst themselves.

The topmost floor brings us out into the real world. We enter another lobby of an airport and can see the public airport across the flight strip. The building we are in is exclusively for the Hunter exam by the look of it. Shiori leads us to a loading dock where a flight attendant is finishing up the preparatory work for our flight. Next to her stands a man that I never thought I would meet in person, the Hunter Association Chairman Netero.

"Welcome to your final leg of your journey." He chuckles, taking in our battered appearances. "Lucky for you, it will take us 3 days to get to the final exam location. Take the time to rest up; I look forward to making many or all of you into Hunters." He says in his cheerful voice. His long beard hangs down almost to where his belly button is and his bald head gleams in the artificial light made by the lights above us. He's definitely older, but there is something that tells me that even though he's old, he could still beat us all out of commission without more than a single hand.

"You may all begin boarding the air ship." The attendant next him announces as she takes down names and directs us to our rooms. Mine is on the first hallway and has a huge window that looks out the left side of the ship. I prop the Litrenan up by the door and put my back pack on the bed. First thing I want is a shower, then I am gonna change into my extra set of clothes. The red sweatshirt that I have been wearing is getting ragged from all my near death situations lately. I lock the door to my room with the deadbolt and head into the bathroom.

The tepid water feels great on my aching muscles as I scrub the dirt from my various scrapes and nicks all over my body. There is an almond fragranced shampoo and bath gel set that smell heavenly as I slowly relax. So much happened today… _I still have no idea why the hell Hisoka was there. It doesn't make any sense… And I know for sure that that was him. I almost died a couple times too, that wouldn't have boded well for Jasper if Hisoka ever found him… Jasper…._

"That's right! Jasper said he threw away his drugs… Why would he do that?" I wonder as I begin rinsing my hair of the suds. "Won't that create some kind of major withdrawal symptoms…?"

I play the scene over again in my mind as I turn off the water to the shower:

"_**Jazz, I am DONE playing with you! Where is the rest of your 'pan'? It's all well and good if you are gonna play the sober card, but we are too far gone for that and so aren't you. You can die like Molly did, alone and sober in that alley but we will not be dragged down with you!" Josie yells.**_

"_**And I'm telling YOU that I don't have it anymore."**_

…


	7. Dream x Nightmare x Bacon

A dystopian world plagued my dreams that night. Perpetual twilight covers the ruins of an abandoned city. I am searching for something as I run through the ash covered streets, something that causes my heart great worry. I don't know what it is, but I am certain that if I don't find it soon my heart will break.

Crows and ravens sit in a large flock upon a burning car. As I near their perch their cackling caws become hysterical and they take flight over head. Without their distraction I notice a darkened alleyway behind the car. The sight of it sparks a tiny ember of hope within my heart.

Vaulting over the hood of the car, I rush into the alley and skid to a stop in front of a group of kids. In the low light of the alley I see them gathering on a stoop. Their whispering stops as I approach them. A familiar set of gray eyes blaze from the face of an older boy, and as I recognize them I know I have found what my heart yearned for. Even his sisters green eyes are somewhat familiar to me though one is usually hidden (and most likely none existent).

"Jasper…"

As I reach out to enfold him in a hug he stabs a needle deep into my vein and pushes the plunger. As he pulls it back out the world is engulfed in rainbows. Chaotic turmoil ensues as twirling, swirling, twisting rainbows explode. From the puddles of rainbow on the ground arises a werewolf. We engage in a dance as he attacks me and tries to tackle me to the ground. Claws swipe at my throat and the kaleidoscope of colors makes it hard to dodge. Eventually I am thrown into a nearby wall and the beast prepares a killing blow. Fortunately, the Litrenan appears in my hand and a psychotic grin spreads across my face. In a flurry of swipes I kill my foe.

The colors fade back into the sepia tones of what was reality. The only real color left is red, and it covers everything around me… including… the children? All of them have been torn apart and at the end of my dripping blade lays Jasper, his dying eyes burning a deep scar into my soul. As the last breath leaves his body I fall to my knees and scream, clutching my friend to my chest.

I awaken from the dream gasping for air. Tears are still streaming down my cheeks as I sit up and look at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to the bed. It's 3 am, but I don't think that I will be sleeping again anytime soon after that scene.

The dark-wash ripped skinny jeans and black pull over hoodie that I had laid out the night before were on the counter in the bathroom. _I may as well get dressed…_ Pulling my clothes on slowly as if my muscles ached to do so, I looked at my appearance in the full length mirror on the door. Dark circles rim the undersides of my cerulean eyes. My long dirty blonde hair is frizzy and unkempt from my fitful sleep. Grabbing my hair brush, I work through the curls until I appear more presentable.

With nothing better to do, I set off to tour the rest of the air ship. Most of the corridors on the first floor are residence quarters, so I climb the stairs and I am immediately met with the intoxicating aroma of bacon. Down the carpeted hall to my right I find the kitchen and dining room. No one is sitting at the formally set tables. I walk over to the serving window and peer inside.

A small man with a lima-bean shaped head is frying bacon and eggs on a huge black stove. His white apron is immaculate and free of grease stains. I clear my throat as he places them on a serving tray.

"Oh hello there! You're up pretty early miss, is there anything I can get for you?" The bean man asks as he wipes his hands on a dish towel.

"Is there any chance that I could get some of that bacon?" I ask tentatively as my stomach growls.

"Sure thing! I have to bring these to Hisoka first and the-"

"Hisoka is on this ship!?" I exclaim, interrupting him.

"Ah, um, yes… he is, but he won't bother you, he has been instructed by the chairman not to approach the applicants." The little man answers a little flustered.

"Oh, no no. That's not what I meant, sorry." I say, trying to clear the misunderstanding. "He and I are actually friends. I just thought he was supposed t be on the other side of the world right now… Can you take me to him?" I want to see him, but at the same time, I need to know why he is here… Hopefully not meddling again.

"If you are sure miss. Would you like me to bring your breakfast to his suite?"

"That would be great, thank you."

Hisoka's suite is up near the Captain's Quarters. Their rooms have grander doors made of some dark exotic wood, much nicer than what we have down on the first floor. The little bean man knocks on the door and waits until it swings open. Hisoka is soaking wet, with water dripping from his un-gelled hair. A towel is loosely wrapped around his waist and clutched together by one hand.

"Ayaka…"

"Hisoka, here is your breakfast you ordered. This girl says she is a friend of yours so I have brought her to you, but do not forget the words of Chairman Nettero…"

"Yeah yeah, don't worry. Ayaka~ What a pleasant surprise!" Hisoka replied as he grabbed his tray and ushered me inside. "Thank you~"

Hisoka's room is even nicer than the door to it. The floor is a dark blue plush carpet that runs from wall to wall. The walls are made of the same dark wood as the door. Multiple other doors are spread out across the wooden walls. The farthest wall is completely made of glass and gives a broad view of the passing landscape. His bed was a four poster canopy with navy sheets trimmed with crimson red details. I step in a little ways as he places down his food.

"Ayaka, it has been so long…" He whispers in my ear. I can smell the sweet aroma of his shampoo… like coffee and almonds.

"Yes it has," I say as I turn around to face him. Before I can say anything else, his lips are on mine. His free hand pulls my waist closer as his lips become even more urgent. "Hisoka…"

"Hmm?" He almost growls as I pull away a little.

"Your naked, you should probably put some clothes on before he comes back with my breakfast too…" I say as I avert my gaze from the ever slipping towel hem.

"Fine, I suppose you are right." He says as he tromps off into the bathroom, clearly disappointed. I have enough time to receive my breakfast and eat it before he emerges again, fully clothed. His outfit this time is white with the spade and the club in black on the front. The heart and diamond are red on the back. A red under shirt that is more like bands resembles his last outfit I had seen him in. His poofy pants end in bare feet though, probably for the sake of comfort.

As he grabs a piece of bacon and shoves it into his mouth I ask "Hisoka, aren't you supposed to be on the other side of the world with Illumi right now?"

He swallows the bacon and sits on the bed next to me. "Aren't you glad that I am here, my sweet little Ayaka?"

"Of course I am Hisoka, but I thought that your business was gonna take longer."

He sat silently for a couple minutes then pointed a finger at a piece of bacon. When he pointed it at his mouth the bacon shot up and he took a bite. "No, Illumi finished it early and then I saw that Nettero was still looking for volunteers to help out. Though he isn't very happy that I killed that girl before."

"Thank you, Hisoka." I say as I lean against him with my head against his shoulder.

"Only for you Ayaka. Besides, it's no fun being kept on a leash like that, I should have made myself into another obstacle that the applicants had to face. Oh well…" He replied as he popped another piece of bacon up to his mouth.

"How do you do that!?" I finally exclaim. I know I have seen him do it before, but I have never been able to figure it out.

"What, the bacon?" He asks with half the piece sticking out of his mouth. "I use my bungee gum."

"You use bubble gum to pick up the bacon? Then how come I can't see it? Please be serious with me." I exclaim exasperatedly.

"I'm serious. It's my nen."

"And what is nen?"

"You don't need to know that just yet. As soon as you pass the exam I will teach you. Or Illumi will teach you, he's more patient than I am."

"So then does Illumi know Bungee Gum too?" I ask, confused as ever and a little bit peeved at Hisoka's evasiveness. Hisoka bursts out laughing and I fall off the bed. I don't know why we couldn't have sat on his couch either, I mean, he has an entire suite of rooms…

"No, no. I'll let him tell you his ability. I'm the only one who knows Bungee Gum. Now come, I'll walk you back to your room. You are gonna need as much sleep as you can get." He says when he has calmed down. He stands up and picks me up by the waist.

"I can walk back on my own, it's not a very large ship after all. But, will you promise me something?"

"You know that I don't usually make promises, my little Ayaka."

"Yes, of course I know that. I just want to see you again before I leave for the next stage."

"We'll see. Illumi says I shouldn't spoil you… Just promise me that you'll stay away from that _boy_."

I feel the blood drain from my face and my ears start to ring. My whole body has gone cold at the tone in his voice as he mentioned Jasper. I turn to look at him, trying to swallow. I'm numb all over, but I know that I can't let Hisoka get his hands on Jasper…

"Oh… you mean him..? He's just a friend." I say as I clear my throat.

"I don't know if he's just a mere friend, but Ayaka, know that you are _MINE_. I will tolerate his presence for a little while longer. Don't make me have to teach him a lesson he won't survive."

"Of… of course." I say as I open his door to leave. _Jasper…. He knows about Jasper! I have to think… and think quickly_. I break into a sprint and head back to my room. The sun has just started to peak over the horizon and more people are emerging from their rooms. As I arrive at my door I swing it open and feel a hand clamp down on my shoulder, causing me to scream.


End file.
